IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD! BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES! STORE BATTERIES! CLEAN YOUR GUTTERS! GET CANDLES! AND GAS STOVES! AND PUMPS FOR YOUR BASEMENT WATER! AND PUT WATER IN YOUR BATHTUB! BUY A GENERATOR! GET YOUR PERSONAL PAPERS AND PUT THEM INTO PLASTIC! CHOOSE YOUR FUNERAL PLAN AND LET YOUR LOVED ONES KNOW! GO TO CONFESSION! GIVE YOUR FORTUNE AWAY!

(Oh, wait. Never mind. It's a tropical storm now and you'll probably get 2 inches of water).

I'm taking it seriously since three different weather systems are converging on a track right where I live, the storm's diameter is a 1000 miles, and it's slow moving meaning lasting for days. No one will be happier than I will though if one or all of the three weather elements fall apart.

I, too, am taking this seriously. It seems to me that whenever people don't take the weather reports seriously, they usually get the worst of it. I remember a couple of years ago when the NYC area had the a bad snow storm and people dismissed the warnings to stay indoors. Countless cars got stuck for days and the Dept of Sanitation couldn't clean up. We were stuck in the house for days.

You can't screw with Mother Nature, especially water. It doesn't help that when the storm really hits that it's a full moon and high tide. I hope everyone else in Sandy's path stays safe!

This news this morning said that this is a historic storm for our area, gosh we've already lost our roof twice to storms like this and I'm praying it holds on this time. Our insurance company will go bankrupt! The winds are a howlin' outside and the worst is yet to come.

Filling the bathtub with water - we don't have water when the power goes out, heck we don't have heat. Last time the power went out it lasted over a week. We keep water in tubs and in the bathroom so we can dump it in the toilet tank and flush the potty - this is good advice! lol

A generator - most of our neighbors have one because so many times this has happened but we have yet to spring for one. We always wish we had it when the power goes out though. Last time we had to dump an entire fridge and freezer. So this also is good advice.

Same with batteries and candles. We live up on a hill so it would have to be a Norah's ark scenario for us to flood, we don't worry about putting our papers in plastic.

My parents have a gas stove, I will run over to their house to use it to heat up water for instant coffee, haha. They have a gas fireplace so at least they will stay warm.

Aside from a couple where you exaggerated the warnings listed are just basic good advice we think about during every major storm.

Linda_________________"The Bookshop has a thousand books, all colors, hues and tinges, and every cover is a door that turns on magic hinges." ~ Nancy Byrd Turner

I agree that many times the media inflates the pandemonium around storms, probably to generate a following. But it's still not an exact science, even as exact as it is these days. Mother Nature always proves to be in charge as to which turns and twists these storms will take. However, the possible worst scenario has to be at least mentioned. With Hurricane Sandy, it appears this is indeed a horrible clash of three storms and; even though the winds may not be as strong as some hurricane winds can be, the slow motion of the storm and flooding possibiities will make conditions horrible for so many states and their residents. In fact, even we here in the Great Lakes area, will be affected by surges in the lakes.

Well, I'm hearing now that Sandy is now 700 miles in diameter, but is still expected to affect the Great Lakes too. Have you seen the satellite photos?

We had Hurricane Irene last year which was stronger by itself, but the ramp up to it was nothing at all like we're having for Sandy. Instead of just a "get water and batteries" warning, a three state emergency has been declared with the national guard on call, all public transportation of every kind stopped between Washington and New York, a ban on road travel except for emergency personnel, local and state govt. closed, etc. A lock down IOW.

Flooding is a big issue of course but what also seems to be of concern is saturated ground and winds 65-70 mph (Sandy strengthened last night) causing fallen trees and telephone poles to take out power to a lot of people in this densely populated corridor of the country for possibly a week or so.

BTW, the "REASONS" I listed above were from AP--not my own. We don't have generators either, so no water, heat, hot food, a flooded basement with its new furnace, the fridge are all concerns here too, not to mention all the trees around our home. We are fortunate that we live on high ground though FWIW.

As for warnings about possible major storms, I'll never forget how poorly handled Katrina was and the results. I'd rather have the warning and be relieved if we get a break.

I'm sorry if I implied that this storm should not be taken seriously. All the media attention that has gone from "The World As We Know It Is Going" and reports of feet of water, and now they're saying 2-3 inches here in RI. I believe in preparing yourself and family, and realize that the media has a responsibility to prepare people and weather is notoriously hard to predict, but here in RI, I think it's too, too much.

Stay safe everyone. I live about 40 minutes from Port Stanley(north side of Lake Erie) and we're expecting heavy rain and very high winds. Seems like it's been raining for the last 3 days. I think the Appalachians and some converging weather systems are protecting us Ontarians from the brunt of Sandy. Hope my basement stays dry _________________Behind every successful man is a surprised woman.

Last edited by kris on Tue Oct 30, 2012 4:46 am; edited 1 time in total

I'm in Tennessee & we get tornados, so we always take these reports seriously. Our small city alone has had several tornado hits and millions of dollars worth of damages, along with too many lives lost. We have also had the flooding that I'm sure you all remember from the Nashville flood a couple of years ago. My city was hit during that too, though Nashville got the press.

Southerners really know from experience what can happen when a cold front comes down & meets tropical heat. Not good. Not good at all. So be careful guys!!!

Someone in my husband's office had not one but two trees fall on her house in Massachusetts. We were lucky in that we never lost power and did not lose any trees. I feel for those whose houses are still dark and cold and hope that the utility companies can restore their electricity quickly. I feel even more for those, as on Chincoteague Island, whose houses are under water. This is definitely one of the most widespread storms I've ever heard of. Seems to me these nasty weather "events" are happening with more and more frequency -- the supposed 100 year storms now occur every few years.

I am watching a special on the devastation of the Jersey Shore. So many say they wish they had listened to the warnings and had left. So glad to hear that Linda and posters here who were in the path do the storm, are safe (with power and roofs). _________________"As you wish"
~The Princess Bride

I too am happy to hear that Linda (in sw va) fared very well in this horrible storm and I hope that other readers who lurk and post here did as well. However, I suspect that probably won't be true for everyone linked in some way to AAR. In the Detroit and Great Lakes area, we were surprised by all the wind we had for two days straight. Sleeping at night was terrible. I cannot imagine how those who stayed behind in their homes in the more targeted areas lasted sanely through the night of even worse winds than we had. And I also cannot imagine the vast clean-up operations they face in the coming months.